Who is King Charles's 'secret weapon' helping mend ties with Prince Harry?

King Charles may have had some quiet help pulling off his surprise reunion with Prince Harry this week.

The father and son met for the first time in 19 months on Wednesday at Clarence House, where they shared a private tea for just under an hour before Harry headed off to other engagements. 

While both sides confirmed the meeting, no details were shared, sparking fresh hopes of reconciliation.

Now insiders claim it wouldn’t have happened without one of Charles’s newest and most trusted aides: Theo Rycroft.

The former diplomat, who joined as the King’s deputy private secretary in February, has quickly become a key figure in smoothing over tensions. 

Known for his softer approach, Rycroft is already seen as a balance to Charles’s long-time private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, whom Harry once nicknamed “the Wasp” in his memoir Spare.

Rycroft previously served as Minister and Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Paris, where he played a major role in the King and Queen’s successful state visit to France. 

He has also been spotted alongside Prince William in France during royal engagements.

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